PC-Malik meeting a new initiative: SM Krishna

Bangalore, June 27: External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has said that the bilateral meeting between Home Minister P Chidambaram and his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik has provided a new initiative for both countries.

Interacting with media here, Krishna said: "I don't think that we had any high expectations. The Home Minister has gone to Islamabad to attend a meeting of SAARC Home Ministers. Incidentally, he had a bilateral meeting with the Pakistan Minister for the Interior, and he also met the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, so, well, a beginning has been made."

He termed Chidambaram's Islamabad visit as a notable landmark in Indo-Pak relations.

Krishna would be going to Islamabad on July 14 for bilateral talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

"Well, I am going to Islamabad on the 14th of July and then I am going to have my bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Qureshi and the leadership of Pakistan and see what comes out of that," Krishna said.

He mentioned that Chidambaram would brief the outcome of his meeting with Malik to the Cabinet as soon as he returns to India.

In Islamabad, Chidambaram discussed issues of regional security and extremism with Malik.

The meeting between Chidambaram and Malik is a sign of the revival of bilateral talks between India and Pakistan, which had been suspended in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

ANI